Bhubaneswar, March 18 -- The alleged cross-voting during the recent Rajya Sabha elections has triggered a major political storm in Odisha, with both the Congress and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) facing internal dissent.

Acting swiftly, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) cracked down on its legislators for defying the party whip. PCC president Bhakta Charan Das suspended three party MLAs, Ramesh Jena, Sofia Firdous, and Dasarathi Gamang, for voting against the party's official stand. The move is being viewed as a strong disciplinary signal from the Congress leadership.

On the other hand, the ruling BJD has so far refrained from taking any immediate punitive action against its legislators accused of cross-voting. Instead, the party...